Former President Lee Myung-bak Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison... Imprisonment Scheduled for the 2nd of Next Month (Comprehensive Report 2)

Supreme Court: "No Error in Lower Court's Conclusion"
Defense: "Rushed Decision Ignoring Constitution" Backlash

Summoned by Central District Prosecutors, Then Imprisoned
Lee Requests Execution Delay Due to Health
Detention Scheduled Next Monday per Prosecution Rules

Ongoing Presidential Ordeals
All Surviving Former Presidents Face Legal Trial

On the 29th, former President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to 17 years in prison by the Supreme Court.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Supreme Court has finalized a 17-year prison sentence for former President Lee Myung-bak, who was indicted on charges of embezzling company funds and accepting large bribes from Samsung and others. Lee, who turned 80 this year in South Korea, will have to serve his sentence until the age of 96, excluding the previous detention period.

The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Park Sang-ok) confirmed on the morning of the 29th the lower court's ruling sentencing former President Lee to 17 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and a confiscation of 5.78 billion KRW on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The Supreme Court stated, "There is no error in the lower court's conclusion regarding the recognition of facts related to embezzlement or bribery."

Former President Lee was tried on charges of embezzling approximately 34.9 billion KRW of company funds from DAS, an auto parts company, and receiving a total of 16.3 billion KRW in bribes, including about 11.9 billion KRW in litigation costs for DAS in the U.S. paid by Samsung Electronics. Earlier, the first trial court found Lee to be the actual owner of DAS and convicted him of embezzlement amounting to over 24.6 billion KRW. The court also recognized bribery charges amounting to over 8.5 billion KRW, sentencing Lee to 15 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and confiscation of over 8.2 billion KRW. In the appeal trial in February, the recognized amount of bribery increased to 9.4 billion KRW, resulting in a sentence of 17 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and confiscation of approximately 5.78 billion KRW.

Lee's appeal against the appellate court's decision to revoke his bail was also dismissed. The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Ahn Cheol-sang), which reviewed the case, ruled, "Even if an appeal is filed against the appellate court's decision to revoke bail following a prison sentence, the effect of suspending the execution of the appeal cannot be recognized." Earlier, after the appellate court revoked his bail in February, Lee filed an appeal and obtained a stay of detention execution.

On the 29th, former President Lee Myung-bak, who was indicted on charges including embezzlement and bribery, had his 17-year prison sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court. Reporters gathered in front of his residence in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Former President Lee, who was out on bail, did not attend the Supreme Court on the day but received the sentencing result at his residence in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul. With the sentence finalized, he will undergo the process of re-incarceration. According to the guidelines for the execution of sentences for those with confirmed prison terms, once summoned, he must appear before the prosecution to verify his identity and health status and then be admitted to a detention center or prison. However, there is also a possibility that he may be transferred directly from his home to a detention center or prison without appearing at the prosecution on the day of incarceration.

The execution of Lee's sentence will be handled by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. A prosecution official stated, "We have notified former President Lee's side of the summons for sentence execution, but they requested a postponement citing medical examination reasons. Accordingly, in accordance with regulations, the execution has been scheduled for the 2nd of next month." It is reported that Lee was originally scheduled for a hospital examination on the 30th. To postpone his appearance, Lee must submit supporting documents such as a medical certificate proving the reason for the delay.

After the Supreme Court's ruling on the day, Lee's legal team protested, calling it a "hasty trial that disregards the spirit of the Constitution." Lee's attorney, Kang Hoon, said, "Despite the prosecution presenting all evidence, there is no content showing that bribery or requests were directly conveyed to former President Lee, yet the Supreme Court confirmed the appellate court's ruling. This is not normal," expressing a "deeply disheartening" sentiment.

Meanwhile, among former presidents, Lee is the fourth whose conviction has been finalized, following former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, and Park Geun-hye. Among them, former President Park was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the retrial of the state affairs manipulation case and the National Intelligence Service special activity funds bribery case. The prosecution filed a petition for a retrial against Park, claiming "legal errors in the acquittal parts," but Park's long-term imprisonment has already been confirmed.